Voting-machine.



C. W. BOWRON.

VOTING MACHINE. APPLIOATIONIILED JAN. 17, 1910. Patented NOV. 5,

2 SHEETS-GEES! 1.

Ufa- 22 155? COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH co., WASHINGTON. n. c.

G. W- BOWRON.

VOTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.17, 1910.

1,043,292. Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

CHARLES W. BOWRON, 0F OSHKOSI-I, WISCONSIN.

VOTING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

Application filed January 17, 1910. Serial No. 538,506.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, CHARLES W. BOWRON, of the city of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Voting-Machines, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which are a part of the specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a simple and suitable machine adapted to enable a voter on election day to express his selection of candidates for public ofllce and his determination on submitted public questions and have that selection automatically registered upon counters or recording devices. And a further object is also to provide such appliances and mechanisms as will prevent the voter from voting for any more candidates for a given oflice than he is entitled to by law, or to cast more than one vote for any one candidate.

The invention consists of the mechanism or apparatus, its parts and combinations of parts as herein described and claimed, or the equivalents thereof.

In the drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of the containing case of the machine with one side of the case removed showing one row of voting keys together with accompanying parts in their relation to each other. Fig. 2 is an end view of several rows of voting keys, sectional on line 1 and 1' Fig. 1, showing the party column arrangement of the voting keys and associated parts. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the top of the containing case showing the serial arrangement of the multiplicity of pairs of plates, (upper and lower) to which the voting keys and counters are attached, and the relation to each other of the slots in the respective plates in which the voting keys operate. Figs. 456 and 7 illustrate the progressive steps in the manipulation of the mechanism to record the votes. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the arrangement of parts whereby two or more rows of voting keys are united and made cooperative to permit of group voting so that two or more candidates may be voted for for the same oflice.

It is well understood in the art of voting machines that the members, keys or devices to be operated by the Voter in the selection of candidates are arranged in parallel columns and also in parallel rows perpendicular to the columns, one arrangement representing the party nominations or what is denominated the straight ticket, and the other arrangementrepresenting the various candidates for the same office, all the nominees of the same political party or source being in the same column, and all the candidates of all sources for the same ofiice being in the same cross row. To avoid ambiguity in my description and reference to the drawings, I shall denominate the group-, 111g of party candidates, or the straight ticket, as columns and that of the candidates for the same ofiice as rows. The voting member or part operated by the voter in expressing his selection of candidates I shall term a voting key. WVhile some parts of the machine might be called apparatus and others mechanism, for the sake of uniformity all parts will be treated as mechanism and the combination of parts and apparatus as a voting machine.

To hold and sustain the various parts and mechanisms, I employ a case of box-like construction having a bottom and four sides, but without a corresponding top. The case may be made of wood or metal or any suitable material. The case is indicated by A in the drawings. Across the top of this boxlike case A are rigidly fastened to the case a series of narrow plates D, the number of such fixed plates D corresponding to the number of rows of voting keys desired. Underneath each fixed plate D is a corresponding but shorter plate E slidable as to plate D upon studs F screwed into plate D and operating in suitable slots in plate E.

The voting keys B consist of thin strips of metal movable up and down in what may be termed slots in plates D and E. These slots (2 -43 and 4t-5) are formed by making countersinks or grooves in the edges of plates D and E as shown in Fig. 8. The voting keys B operate perpendicularly to plates D and E. Each voting key is fashioned with an overhang. or projection on one edge of the top end and this overhang is surmounted by a button to be pressed by the finger of the voter. Each voting key is also fashioned with a notch or shoulder K which catches upon the underside of plate D when the key is depressed as shown in Fig. 5. Each voting key B is supported movably by a standard C along side of it, which standard passes through the same slot with it in plates D and E and is fastened rigidly to the top side of fixed plate D. Standard C has a rigidly attached cross bar N at its lower end projecting at right angles to it fiatwise across its associated voting key B in which cross bar is a headed pin L operating in a slot N in the voting key. This con struction sustains voting key B.in place while allowing it to be moved. up and down. A portion of the lower extremity of voting key B is bent sidewise at right angles to the body of the voting key forming the foot B from which a spring 0 extends upward to a pin Y projecting from standard C which spring holds voting key B up and in normal position and retrieves it when pushed down. Voting key B is also provided, near its lower extremity and on the opposite side of the key from foot B, with a roller M revolving on a center pin M extending per pei'idicularly from the voting key. The counters G are rigidly attached to the underside of plate E each in such relation to its corresponding voting key B that the pin J projecting from the voting key will fit operatively into the slot of slotted arm II on the eounters center shaft which actuates the mechanism of the counter. The counters arc of such construction that one complete revolution of the counter actuating arm H will cause the counting mechanism to register one unit, and the operation of the.internal mechanism of the counter is such as to accumulatively register these units deeimally into the hundreds and thousands, indicating the same by figures on a dial. A counter is provided for each voting key.

Each sliding plate E is provided near one end with a pin E which passes through a hole in a header bar F extending the whole length of the machine (see Fig. 1). Header bar F is reciprocally slidable sidewise on guides, is held in normal position and retrieved by a spring and is forced out of normal position by a pull rod X extending outwardly through the side of the containing case and operated from without the machine. (See Fig.

The sliding plates E may be retrieved to normal position by other means than a spring acting on header bar F. Pull rod X may be attached to the means of egress of the voter such as a door or wicket so that the plates may be reciprocally moved by the necessary operation of such means.

By reference to Fig. 8 it will be seen that the slots in the movable plate E through which the voting keys B and their standards C pass are somewhat longer than the corresponding slots in fixed plate D. In Figs. 3-l5-6 and 7, I have designated the slot in plate D by the figures 23, and the corresponding slot in plate E by the figures 4: 5. Slot 23 is only long enough (and just wide enough) to accommodate a voting key B and its supporting standard C. The longer slot l-5 in plate E permits plate E to be moved or shifted endwise in one direction to the extent of such longer slot. As the ends of these slots, or rather the metal or substance forming the ends of the slots, perform an important function in connection with the sliding of plate E endwise, I shall, for the sake of brevity and clearness, sometimes refer to the figures 23- 5 as slot ends. that is, slot end 3, slot end 5, etc.

The operation of the voting keys B, counters G,sliding plates E and associated mechanisms in registering the vote of a voter is as follows, reference being made to Figs.

4c-5-67 which show the voting keys on the opposite side from the view of them given in Fig. 1 in order that counter arm H and slots 2 3 and 4@5 may be displayed more distinctly.

It will be noticed in Fig. 4 where all the parts shown are in normal position, that the slot 45 in movable plate E through which voting key B and standard C pass is somewhat longer than the corresponding slot 23 in the stationary plate D. Slot-end 2 and slot-end t coincide, resting against standard G; voting key B presses gently against slot-end 3 by reason of the oblique tension of spring 0 which holds the voting key up and tends to tilt it forward; and slotend 5 is a short distance away from voting key B. Upon the depression of the voting key B by the voter, the pressure of the finger on the overhanging button together with the oblique tension of the spring 0 will cause the voting key to pitch forward so that the notch or shoulder K on the voting key will be caught under plate D at slot-end 3 as shown in Fig. 5. The voting key B will thus be retained temporarily depressed in the position shown in Fig. 5. By the above described depression of the voting key B, the pin J projecting from the voting key and operating in the slot of counter actuating arm II will have carried said counter actuating arm H from the normal position shown in F ig. 4; past its center through approximately a quarter revolution to the position shown in Fig. 5. This is what I will term the first step in a four-step revolution of the counter. Voting key B having been depressed by the voter and whileitis temporarily held down as shown in Fig. 5 the voter leaves the voting booth. As he passes out of the booth any suitable mechanism attached to a door or gate or other object necessarily operated by the egress of the voter is made, by proper connections therewith, to actuate pull rod X in pulling it outwardly, thus, through the connected means of header bar F and pins E, shifting endwise all the plates E until all the slot-ends 5 in the machine become flush or coincident with all the slot-ends 3 in the machinethe position shown in Fig. 6. By the above described shifting of plates E all the counters G are carried forward while the voting keys B remain stationary. Of those voting keys that have been depressed the pin J will now have carried counter actuating arm H from the position shown in Fig. 5 past its center through another quarter of a revolution to the position shown in Fig. 6. This I will term the second step in the four-step revolution of the counter. The shifting of plate E until its slot-end 5' coincides with slotend 3 in plate D serves to disengage notch or shoulder K of voting key B from its under catch on slot-end 3, and voting key B thus released automatically rises to normal position through action of spring 0, the pin J carrying counter actuating arm H past its center through another or third quarter of a revolution into the position shown in Fig. 7 This I will term the third step in the four-step revolution of the counter which has now received three quarters of a revolution. The voter having left the voting booth the means by which his egress actuated pull rod X to shift all the plates E is restored to normal position thus restoring pull rod X to normal position and permitting header bar F to return to normal position by action of its retrieving means carrying with it all the plates E back to their normal position. The voting key Bremaming stationary and in normal position during the movement of plate E with counter G back to normal position, the pin J carries counter actuating arm H past its center through the fourth quarter of a revolution back to the original position as shown in Fig. 4. This I will term the fourth step in the four-step revolution of the counter. It will be observed that the counter actuating arm H has been given a complete revolution in four separate operations and, as a result of this complete revolution, the counter has registered one unit. It will also be noticed that in this four-step progression of the counter actuating arm H through its complete revolution the first step or first quarter revolution was caused by the voters depression of the voting key B; the second step or second quarter revolution was caused by the shifting of plate E out of normal position; the third step or third quarter revolution was caused by the return of the voting key B to normal position; and the fourth step or fourth quarter revolution of the counter was caused by the return of plate E to normal position. A complete revolution of the counter arm is thus secured in a fourstep progression by the alternate operation of voting key B and movable plate E, due to the manner in which voting key B is operatively connected with the counter actuating arm H.

The pin J which connects the voting key operatively with the counter arm H by operating in a slot in said arm in the course of the alternate movements of the voting key and plate E describes a right angled parallelogram in four successive rectilinear movements around the shaft of the counter thus imparting rotary mot-ion to the counter mechanism through the rectilinear alternate movements of the only two mechanisms operatively connected with the counters, namely the plate E and the voting key.

It is obvious that the reciprocal movement of plate Din an opposite initial direction from that described above as given to plate E would accomplish precisely the same results in releasing the voted keys and in producing a quarter revolution of the counter arm H. So that I do not limit myself as a means herein described to the slidable plate E specifically, for plate E could as well be made the stationary plate and plate D the slidable plate as the reverse. It is only necessary that one of the two plates be slidable, it being wholly a matter of construction and practicability which of the two plates is made slidable.

The above description of the mechanical operations in securing a complete revolution of the counter actuating arm H and a consequent recording by the counter of one unit pertains only to those counters belonging to such voting keys as are depressed by the voter. If a voting key is not depressed the action of the plate E in being shifted endwise is simply to carry its associated counter from the position shown in Fig. 4 into the position shown in Fig. 7 giving the counter mechanism but a quarter revolution, from which position it is returned directly to normal position as shown in Fig. 4 by the return of plate E to normal position. The mechanism of the counter is such that it reverses with reverse action and does not register a unit until its actuating arm H has made a complete revolution in the same direction. For like reason if a voter wishes to change his vote or split his ticket after a voting key has been depressed into the position shown in Fig. 5, he may do so by moving the voting key sidewise with his finger until shoulder K is released. from slotend 3 when the key will return to normal position as shown in Fig. 4 without the counter having registered, as the counter arm H has, in that case, been moved only a quarter of a turn and back again. It should be understood that all the slidable plates E are shifted endwise, in the process above de-' scribed, when the Voter leaves the voting booth, so as to accomplish a complete revolution of all the counters whose associated voting keys may have been depressed.

It will be noticed that each pair of plates D and E with the row of voting keys and counters attached thereto is separate and distinct from every other pair of plates D and E, and that each section formed by the different pairs of plates with their attached voting keys and counters is identical in construct-ion with, or a fac simile of, every other pair of plates with their attached Voting keys and counters. Thus the pairs of plates or rows of voting mechanisms are removable and interchangeable and one row of voting mechanism may be taken out and another substituted or the number of rows of voting mechanisms may be reduced or increased according to the requirements of the ticket and the number of ottices to be voted for.

Another feature of my invention consists in the locking device by which, when one voting key is depressed, all the other voting keys in the same row, representing candidates for the same office, are so locked that none of them can beoperated. The following is a description of this part of the mechanism: As before mention-ed each voting key B is provided with aroller M near its lower extremity, said roller revolving on a bearing pin M projecting at right angles from one side of the voting key. (Figs. 1 and Underneath each row of rollers M and in touching contact with them extends a flexible band or belt S from one side of the containing case to the other (Fig. 1). One end of this band or belt is fastened to a permanent staple X in the case A and the other end is secured to an eye T having a threaded shank which passes through a partition or other fixed member of the case with a nut U adapted to adjust the eye so as to regulate the slack in the band. This band or belt is supported from below by a series of rollers I rotating on shafts Q which have their hearings in blocks V rest-- ing upon and bolted to the bottom of the containing case A. These rollers P are placed in alinement with rollers M and in such relation to the voting keys that when a voting key is depresed, its roller M presses the band or belt S downward between two of the supporting rollers P as shown in Fig. 1. The slack in l and or belt S, through the adjustment of eye T, is made sufficient to allow only one of the voting keys in that row to be depressed at the same time, the tension of the belt, when one key is depressed, resisting and preventing the depression of a second key in the row.

An important and useful feature of this construction is that the rollers P supporting the band S and between which the voting keys are depressed to exhaust the slack in the band are attached to the bottom of the case, and the voting keys, counters and counter actuating mechanisms are all mounted above and on the opposite side of the band from the rollers P and no mechanism bearing against either side of the band has a bearing on the other side of the band, so that plate D with all its attachments may be taken off or lifted up on a hinge at one end of it exposing the counter figures to view and permitting adjustment or repair of the mechanism above the band S without disturbing the band or moving it from its normal place or position. In other words, the upper and lower parts of the machine may be separated without interfering with the band.

Means for regulating the slack in band S may be various. I here indicate only one simple form in order not to complicate the illustration.

The mechanism provided for straight ticket voting, or the depression of all the voting keys in a party column at one operation, is shown in Fig. 2 and a description of it is as follows: The shafts Q on which the band supporting rollers P rotate extend parallel to the party columns. Fig. 2 which is a sectional view on the line 11 of Fig. 1 shows one voting key in each of several rows of voting keys, forming one of the party columns. The rows of band supporting rollers P are placed in alinement with correspond ing rows of voting key rollers M. Between the rows of supporting rollers P are fixed rigidly shafts Q rows of levers R in aline' ment with the feet B formed by bending the lower extremity of voting keys B at right angles thereto. Levers R are of such length as to reach and act upon feet B. hen any one of the shafts Q is rocked each lever It on such shaft impinges on its corresponding foot B and all the voting keys of the column acted upon are depressed synchronously. Every shaft Q extends outside the case A and ter minates in a crank to be operated by the voter who desires to vote the strai ht ticket or for all the candidates of any particular party.

Still another feature of my invention is the combination made for group voting where two or more candidates are to be chosen for the same otlice. To accomplish this two or more single-candidate voting series are combined into one cooperative group as shown in Fig. 8. Just beyond the ends of the rows of voting mechanisms are fixed pulleys .2-2, etc., so placed as to sustain and guide a continuous flexible band S from one row to another, to the extent of as many rows of voting mechanism as is desired to be combined into the same voting group. Each pulley is placed so that its center is on a line midway between the two rows of voting mechanisms which it is designed to connect. In place of a flexible band S for each single-candidate voting row thus combined, there is substituted a single band of a length suiiicient to connectcontinuously as many rows as is desired, in the manner shown in Fig. 8. This illustration shows the combination of three single rows of voting mechanisms into one cooperative group where three candidates are to be voted for for the same office. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the parts essential to illustrate the grouping device, with all the other parts removed. The band S attached at one end to staple X in the containing case extends along one row of voting keys passing under the voting key rollers M and over the supporting rollers P, thence around the pulley Z and along a second row of voting keys in the manner just described, thence around a second pulley Z and along a third row of voting keys in the manner described to the adjusting eye T. In this combination the eye T would be adjusted so as to give sufficient slack to the band or belt S to permit the depression of three voting keys, and no more, anywhere within the continuity of the band. Any desired number of rows of voting keys may be united in like manner so as to permit an equal number of candidates to be voted for for the same oflice. All that is necessary in combining single candidate rows of voting keys into groups for group voting is to use a flexible band S of the necessary length to cooperatively unite the desired number of rows of voting keys in the manner described and shown in Fig. 8, and to adjust the slack in the band so as to permit the desired number, and no more, of voting keys to be depressed anywhere along the continuity of the band. The tension of the band when this given number of voting keys are depressed prevents the operation of any more keys, on the same principle as described in single-candidate voting.

For voting yes or no upon public questions submitted to the people for determination a row of voting keys with their accompanying counters is divided into couplets, the length of each band S being confined to its respective couplet and given such an. amount of slack that when either of the voting keys of the couplet is depressed and the slack exhausted, the tension of the band will prevent the other voting key of the couplet from being depressed, on the same principle as herebefore described.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a voting machine, a stationary face plate, depressible voting keys operating through said plate, each voting key having a shoulder adapted to be engaged by said plate when the key is depressed and to lock the key temporarily in a depressed position, a second plate reciprocally movable, count-- ers attached to the movable plate and operatively connected with the voting keys, said movable plate being adapted by its movement to disengage the depressed keys from their temporary locking, means for reciprocally moving the movable plate and means for returning the released voting keys to normal position.

2. In a voting machine two parallel plates one of which is stationary and the other reciprocally movable, counters attached to one of the plates, depressible voting keys mounted on the other plate extending through both plates to operative connection with the counters, said voting keys having a shoulder adapted to latch under one of the plates when the keys are voted and to be re leased therefrom by the action of the movable plate and means for reciprocally moving the movable plate and the voting keys in alternating movements.

3. In a voting machine a fixed plate on which voting keys are movably mounted, a sliding plate to which counters are rigidly attached but in operative connection with the voting keys, said voting keys having a shoulder adapted to catch upon the fixed plate when depressed and said sliding plate being adapted by its movement to actuate the counters and to release the depressed voting keys, means for reciprocally moving the sliding plate and means for returning the released voting keys to normal position.

4. In a voting machine having a stationary plate for carrying voting members and a shiftable plate for carrying registering members, voting keys provided with a shoulder adapted to catch upon the stationary plate when the keys are depressed and to be released therefrom by the movement of the shiftable plate, and counters adapted to register by the alternate movement-s of the movable plate and voting keys.

5. In a voting machine counters that register units by a complete revolution of their mechanism, a reciprocally movable plate' upon which the counters are mounted, slotted arms for actuating the counter mechanisms, reciprocally movable voting keys, pins on the voting keys projecting into the slots of corresponding counter arms and means for giving a complete revolution to the counter arms by the alternate movements of the voting keys and said plate.

6. In a voting machine the combination of series of counters mounted on a movable plate, corresponding series of depressible voting keys mounted on a fixed plate and operatively connected with the counters,

said voting keys having a shoulder adapted to catch on the stationary plate when the keys are depressed and to be released therefrom by the action of the movable plate,

means extending external to the machine" for depressing a series of voting keys simultaneously, means extending external to the machine for reciprocally moving the movable plate and means for returning the released voting keys to normal position.

7. In a voting machine two plates, one shittable as to the other, having partially registering slots, the slots in one plate being longer than the slots in the other plate, counters attached to one of the plates, voting keys movably mounted on one of the plates and extending through said slots to operative connection with corresponding counters on the other plate, said voting keys having a shoulder adapted to catch on one of the plates when depressed and to be released by the movement of the shiftable plate.

8. In a voting machine two plates, one shiftable as to the other, having partially registering slots, the slots in one plate being longer than the slots in the other plate, counters attached to one of the plates, voting keys movably mounted on one of the plates and extending through said slots to operative connection with corresponding count ers on the other plate, said voting keys having a shoulder adapted to catch on one of the plates when depressed and to be released by the movement of the shiftable plate, means for reciprocally moving the shiftable plate and means for returning the released voting keys to normal position.

9. In a voting machine, counters registering one unit to each complete revolution, counter-actuating levers, a reciprocally movable counter-bearing plate, reciprocally movable voting keys operating at right angles to said plate adapted to actuate the counter levers, and means for reciprocally moving the plate and the voting keys whereby the counter levers are given a complete revolution in a four-step progression by the alternate movements of the plate and the voting keys.

10. In a voting machine counters that register units by a complete revolution, counter-actuating levers, a reciprocally movable plate to which the counters are attached, voting keys movable reciprocally at right angles to said plate and adapted to actuate the counter levers, and means for operating the plate and the voting keys in alternate movements whereby the counter lever of each voted key is given a complete revolution in a four-step progression wherein the initial movement of the voted key carries the counter lever one-quarter of a revolution, the initial movement of the movable plate carries the counter lever the second quarter of the revolution, the reciprocal return of the voted key to normal position carries the counter lever the third quarter of the revolution and the reciprocal return of the movable plate to normal posit-ion carries the counter lever the fourth quarter of the revolution to normal position, thus causing the counter to register one unit.

11. In a voting machine a multiplicity of counters registering units by a complete revolution, the levers for actuating the counters, means for completing a revolution of each voted counter in a tour-step progression consisting of a reciprocally movable plate to which the counters are attached, the initial and reciprocal movements of which plate carry the counter levers through the second and fourth steps respectively and voting keys movable reciprocally at right angles to said plate and connected operatively to the counter levers the initial and reciprocal movements of which voting keys carry the counter levers through the first and third steps respectively, means for reciprocally moving the movable plate and the voting keys.

12. In a voting machine a stationary plate, depressible voting keys mounted on and operating through said plate, each voting key having a shoulder adapted to undercatch upon the plate when the key is depressed, a slidable counter-bearing plate adapted by its shifting to release the depressed voting keys and a slack-limited band lying in the operating path of said voting keys adapted to be flexed by the voting keys depressed.

13. In a voting machine the combination of two plates one of which is slidable, voting keys movably attached to one of the plates, counters attached to the other plate and operatively connected with the voting keys, a shoulder on each voting key adapted to catch upon one of the plates when the key is depressed and to hold the key temporarily in a depressed position, a flexible interlocking band adapted to be flexed by the operation of one or more voting keys to the extent of a predetermined slack therein, means for moving the slidable plate to release the voted keys, means for returning the shifted plate to normal position, means for returning the released voting keys to normal position and means for regulating the slack in the flexible band.

14. In a voting machine the voting keys B, mounted movably upon the stationary plate D each voting key being provided with the shoulder K adapted to catch on the under side of plate D when depressed, the movable plate E carrying the counters G and adapted by its movement to release the depressed keys, springs O for retrieving keys B and holding them in normal position and the interlocking band S with means for regulating the slack therein all constructed and operating substantially as and for the purpose described.

15. In a voting machine the voting keys 13 arranged in columns, plate I) to which the voting keys are attached, the plate E, the counters G attached to plate E and having levers I-I connected with their corresponding voting keys, means extending external to the machine for depressing the voting keys of a column simultaneously, means extending external to the machine for reciprocally moving one of the plates, and means for returning the voting keys to normal position all constructed and operating substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

16. In a Voting machine the voting keys B arranged in series and mounted movably upon the plate D, each voting key having the shoulder K adapted to catch on the underside of the plate D when depressed, the flexible band S adapted by its degree of slack to limit the number of keys in a series that may be voted, the movable plate E adapted by its movement to release the de- 15 CHAS. W. BOWRON.

Witnesses:

T. J. BAST, K. G. KELLEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

